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ByAlistair Budd, Robin Mittenthal, James B. ToyApril 24, 1996

Exposing Atrocities In Bosnia No Small Feat

Regarding the front-page article "Monitor Correspondent Wins Pulitzer," April 10: A word of appreciation for the work of David Rohde, who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. The importance of Mr. Rohde's discovery - that mass execution of Muslim prisoners took place in Srebrenica last July - should not be underestimated. The exposure of this atrocity was one of the factors that led to US involvement in Bosnia, resulting in the Dayton peace accord and the creation of NATO's international peacekeeping force in Bosnia, known as IFOR. One hopes that the perpetrators of the Srebrenica massacre will be brought to trial before the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. Congratulations to Rohde for his Pulitzer and to the Monitor for maintaining its commitment to international news reporting.

The front-page article " 'Living Wage' Drive Accelerates in Cities," April 10, did not expose clearly enough the absurdity of executives' and economists' claims that low wages will rise sufficiently when "investment revives and the [economic] cycle matures." Real wages are at a 40-year low, not because of short-term fluctuations in economic growth, but because most modern corporations pay little attention to their hourly workers and will do anything (or nothing, when it comes to wage hikes) to maximize profits for shareholders and executives. A higher minimum wage sends some companies to foreign countries in search of cheap labor.

As someone who lives on a minimum-wage salary, I would argue that people with five-figure salaries have little reason to complain about workers' requests for higher wages. The need for a higher minimum wage is an issue that should be taken up by the government at one or more levels. Trusting corporations to take the necessary action will only lead to further inaction and worker abuse.

Robin Mittenthal

Salina, Kan.

Rating system for movies isn't perfect

Regarding the article "Are G-Rated Movies Too Much for Young Kids?" April 15: I have worked for more than 11 years in the management of movie theaters. My experience has taught me that there hasn't been a movie made that is appropriate for everyone. G-rated movies are suitable for most kids, but not all. Some children are more sensitive to frightening scenes or are more easily influenced by what they see on the big screen than others.

The question is, does the rating system have to take into account the mentality of every child? There are too many variables to do this. The rating system provides guidelines to parents. It cannot endorse a specific film for a specific child.

If your children are sensitive to what they see, you should find out what is in the movie before your kids see it. You can do this by calling the theater and asking specific questions about the content of the movie. Movie reviews also offer valuable information. Of course, the best system of all is to see the movie yourself before you take the children.

James B. Toy

Monterey, Calif.

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